Re: [Beginner Problem] Varibles not getting assigned correctly

[Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid>]

Shane Smith wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm trying to write a simple program (that manacla game), I've 
> encountered a problem where the variables that are used in a nested 
> procedure can't be assigned a value. I'm using GNAT 4.1.2 on Linux.

I think your conclusion ("can't be assigned a value") is too 
strong; what you really observed is "gdb displays an unexpected value".

I occasionally get weird values from gdb (which I seldom use, 
though) from Ada programs, where a Text_IO.Put at the same place 
shows the correct, expected value.

> type arr_point is access pits;
> board : arr_point;

It's not necessarily relevant, but I'm curious why you use an 
access type for the board. Are there several boards? (I don't know 
this game.)

By the way, even with an access type, you don't need the ".all" 
below, where you write board.all(2 .. 7), you can write just 
board(2 .. 7). The ".all" is implied when you index an array or 
take a slice of it.

> procedure Status (Player : in integer)
> is
> 
> begin
> 	-- Check if 'playing pits' are empty, if not exit
> 	while board.all(2 .. 7) = (0,0,0,0,0,0) or board.all(9 .. 14) = 
> (0,0,0,0,0,0) loop

Why are you looping here? The only thing that may change in the 
loop is the Winner variable, so the loop either never starts, or 
exits in the first iteration, or never exits.

> 		if Player = 1 then
> 			if board.all(2 .. 7) = (0,0,0,0,0,0) then
> 				Winner := 1;

If this happens, the loop gets stuck and never exits.

> 			else exit;
> 			end if;
> 		else
> 			if board.all(9 .. 14) = (0,0,0,0,0,0) then
> 				Winner := 2;

Same here.

> 			else exit;
> 			end if;
> 		end if;
> 	end loop;
> end Status;
> 
> In gdb 'p winner' gives "$14 = 7270388".

At what point in the program did you give that gdb command? That 
is, where did you break the program's execution?

If I had this problem I would first use Text_IO, not gdb, to print 
out the values of the variables. If you do that, and you still get 
the wrong value, perhaps you could show a bit more of the program 
in your nest posting.

HTH

-- 
Niklas Holsti
Tidorum Ltd
niklas holsti tidorum fi
       .      @       .